Announcing The Milky Way Drive-In Movie Experience

The Milwaukee Milkmen, City of Franklin Tourism Commission , and Studio Gear Team Up to Bring a Curated Movie and Entertainment Series This Summer

Franklin, Wisconsin (May, 2020) – The Milwaukee Milkmen announced today a partnership with Franklin Tourism and Studio Gear to bring back a vintage movie-going experience via the brand-new Milky Way Drive-In at Ballpark Commons located in Franklin, WI.

The Milky Way Drive-In will accommodate 150 vehicles and show movies on an outdoor big LED screen. The schedule kicks off on Memorial Day Weekend (Friday, May 22) and runs to Labor Day. There will be two shows daily when the Milwaukee Milkmen are playing out of town, with family-oriented films slated for the early shows and more mature fare in the evening. There is also a weekly late-night feature planned for high school-age teens and young adults.

“Given our current shared challenge in combating COVID-19 via social distancing, the drive-in concept is a great way to gradually and safely ‘return to community’,” said Mike Zimmerman, CEO of ROC Ventures, developer of the Ballpark Commons mixed-use development and owner of the Milwaukee Milkmen. “The Milky Way Drive-In offers a terrific food-and-entertainment ‘night out’ experience in a safe environment.”

Studio Gear will bring its unique expertise to serve as the technology partner, providing all presentation and sound technology an ongoing technological support. Studio Gear will install a 40-foot LED board for the image and transmit sound via radio frequency. Utilizing LED technology provides for a robust image and will allow the Drive- In to play content day or night.

“We are in the event business and have a current partnership with the Milwaukee Milkmen. Moreover, we’d just secured a significant amount of additional gear for the Democratic National Convention, scheduled to be held in Milwaukee this year,” said Mike Atkins, General Manager of Studio Gear. “When large events began cancelling due to COVID-19, we found ourselves sidelined. The Milky Way Drive-In is a fantastic outlet for our technology and expertise – it’s hard to imagine a more ideal partnership.”

In addition to big-screen cinematic entertainment, a robust array of stadium food and drink concessions will be available including a “car hop” option where we deliver right to the car. Augmenting this offering, includes a rotating selection of local food trucks and partners. Stadium restrooms will be open for use with enforced social distancing safety guidelines.

Additional information including movie programming, show times, pricing, and COVID-19 health safety policies will be announced next week.

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About ROC VenturesROC Ventures manages a collection of brands in the sports, entertainment, and real estate sectors. These include the MASL Champion Milwaukee Wave, The Rock Sports Complex, a Summer College Baseball franchise, the Milwaukee Milkmen professional baseball team, and the mixed-use Ballpark Commons development featuring a new Baseball Stadium and Luxe Golf Bays, among other retail, entertainment, and residential features. ROC stands for “Return on Community,” a goal which informs each and every endeavor undertaken by the organization. For more information, visit rocventures.org.

About Studio GearSince 1989, Studio Gear has provided audio/visual/lighting equipment rentals, production services, and sales to customers throughout the United States. Customers count on Studio Gear for exceptionally high technical skills matched with creativity and customer service. Studio Gear was founded by Bob & Lana Wise on two main principles: “Quality is of the utmost importance, and our customers will always come first.”